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LAND OF THE SKY 

A PICTURESQUE COUNTRY ON THE 

SOUTHERN 
RAILWAT. 








^^MIE-^M^^i^S.^ 




"A good land, a landjot brooks ot water, ot 
fountains and depths that spring out of valleys 
and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines 
and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land ot oil, 
olive and honey ; a land wherein thou shalt eat 
bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack 
anything in it." (Deut. viii. 7, 8, 9. ) 






HE LAND OF THE SKY" is that portion or 
\\ cstern North Carolina lying between the Blue Ridge 
Mountains and the Iron, Smoky and Unaka ranges 
ot eastern Tennessee. It is a superb elevated plateau, 
the lowest point of which is more than 2,000 feet 
above the level of the sea. It is protected in winter 
from chilling winds by the surrounding mountains. Geographicallv it is situated in 
the most favored portion of the temperate zone. Topographically it is mountainous 
and is largely covered with forests in which the long leaf, or turpentine, pine pre- 
dominates. It is traversed by splendid rivers and dotted with beautiful lakes. Its 
scenery is unrivalled, even by the more famous localities of the far West, and its 
accessibility is such that it can be reached either from the North, the East, the South, 
or the Middle West in a few hours, whereas the scenic glories of the West require 
several days in which to reach them. 

The Southern Railway bisects North Carolina with its main line, from which 
many branches radiate to the chief cities of the State. Entering from the north, 
five miles below Danville, Va., the main stem runs southwesterly and passes into 
South Carolina just north of Blacksburg. A line from Norfolk runs through Dan- 
ville, while another branch extends from Goldsboro (with connections from Wil- 
mington and Morehead City), to Raleigh, Durham, Universitv, Haw River and 
Burlington, and intersects the main line at Greensboro. At Durham this line is 
joined by the branch from Keysville, through Chase City, Clarksville Junction and 
Oxford. At Greensboro a branch, beginning on the west at Wilkesboro and pass- 
ing through Winston-Salem (from which a branch runs to Mockville), also intersects 
the main line. From High Point on the main line a branch runs to Asheboro, and 
at Salisbury tha: portion of the line running west to Asheville, Knoxville and Chat- 
tanooga leaves the main stem. 

On the last-named division are many of the prominent points of " The Land of 
the Sky," among them Statesville (from which a branch runs to Tailorsville), New- 
ton, Hickory, Connelly Springs, Morganton, Marion, Old Fort, Round Knob, Black 
Mountain, Biltmore , Asheville, Alexander, Marshall, Hot Springs, N. C, and 
Newport, and Morristown, Tenn. From Asheville a line runs through a magnifi- 
cent mountain region to Murphy, N. C, passing through Turnpike, Wavnesville, 
Dillsboro, Bryson, Nantahala and Andrews. A branch of the Southern Railwav 
also runs from Asheville southeast to Columbia, S. C, crossing the main line at 
Spartanburg, and passing through Sk\land, Fletchers, Arden, Hendersonville, F'lat 
Rock, Saluda, Tvron and Landrum. 

The direct line to the resorts of Florida and eastern (icorgia is from Charlotte, 
via Columbia, S. C, Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville. 




K R 

^,'5 



Ct;Cq 



;^ 



SALISBURY 7/7e 

GrAfrYMfA>C/f(?^fj^fl3S/ To d 
NAT'URAL PARADI5E.. 



1 



HE northern traveler, en route to Asheville, the 

T natural centre ot this scenic and climatic paradise, 
leaves the main line ot the Southern Railway at Salis- 
burv, N. C. Here he gets his first glimpse of this 
wonderful country. From Salisbury to the summit 
of the Blue Ridge Mountains (which must be passed before this en- 
chanting region is entered), the scenery is on a scale of ever-increas- 
ing grandeur. Vista after vista appears before the enraptured eyes 
of the traveler, each more enchanting than its predecessor, until, 
as the train plunges into the abyssmal darkness of the Swannanoa 
tunnel at the summit of the Blue Ridge, the curtain is, as it were, 
abruptly drawn down on the eastern out-look, only to rise again in 
a few minutes on what is virtually the second act of this most mag- 
nificent natural spectacle. The view, as the train emerges from the 
blackness of the tunnel, is strikingly beautiful. Nearby stands Black 
Mountain, one of the giants of this land of peaks and crags; in the 
far distance loom the lofty mountains of eastern Tennessee, indis- 
tinct in the haze and of but slightly deeper tint than the marvellously 
blue sky that spreads its canopy over all; and between lie the fertile 
fields, the broad plains, 
the rolling hills, and 
the dense forests of this 
superb region. 





Clear Streams ana Sparklivg Cascades 
Abound in the Land of the Skv 






fro in ^Jie^ 

^W^ST cl^TZa 50UTH 

OLUMBIA is the junction point for "The Land of 

Cthe Skv" from eastern Georgia and Florida, direft lines 
running thither from Charleston, S. C, Savannah and 
Brunswick, Ga. , and Jacksonville, Fla. Another branch 
runs from I Augusta, Ga., passing'through Aiken. 
Passengers from the Gulf States and the Southwest can reach 
"The Land of the Sky" by way of Mobile, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., 
and Spartanburg, S. C, transferring to the Asheville Division at 
the last-namedj point. From [[Mobile another route runs via 
Birmingham and Chattanooga, making connections for Atlanta at 
Birmingham, Ala. From Greenville, Miss., a branch runs direct to 
Atlanta, passing through West Point, Miss., and Birmingham and 
Anniston, Ala. 

Chattanooga, Tenn., is the principal junction point for travelers 
from the Middle West and Southwest. Direct routes run to Chat- 
tanooga as follows ; From Memphis, passing through Corinth, Tus- 
cumbia, and Decatur; from New Orleans and Birmingham, by way 
of Attalla. The route from the North, Cincinnati, O., Lexington, 
Ky. , and Louisville, is via jellico or Harriman junction and Knoxville. 

Passengers from St. 
Louis and points north 
and west of that city 
have a choice of two 
routes and can travel 
south to Corinth and 
east to Chattanooga, 
or east to Louisville 
and Lexington, Ky., 
and thence south. The 
line from Chattanooga 
also runs via Knoxville, 
connecting with the 
Asheville branch at 
Morristown. 




o 




The Lofty and Fantastic Figine 
of Chimney Rock 



5CENIC GLORIES 

or T-HE, 

Ls\TMJD ^or= ^/?e 5 KY 

UCH has been written concerning the superb scen- 

Mery of this unrivalled section; much more might still 
be written, and its glories would even then be far in 
advance ot the most glowing description. From the 
moment the traveler enters this region until duty else- 
where forces him to leave it, naught that is unpleasing meets his 
eye. With a soil of unsurpassed fertility its verdure is of the deep- 
est and most beautiful hue; its rolling hills enchantingly hem in its 
placid lakes, its broad rivers and its rippling streams, while its 
strikingly picturesque and lofty mountains — famed alike for their 
number and their size — form the background for innumerable scenes 
ot natural beauty and grandeur. Any one ot its massive peaks, 
placed elsewhere, would be an object of striking beauty. Here, 
surrounded by scores ot others equally grand, its majesty is com- 
parative, though none the less pleasing, and the ensemble is one 
ot unparalleled loveliness. From the Blue Ridge to the mountains 
of eastern Tennessee there are many chains and ranges of superb 
proportions, their summits outlined and accentuated by numerous 
towering peaks. Their primeval forests cover their rugged sides 
and make dark and umbrageous the deep ravines and narrow valleys 
that lie between their precipitous flanks. Pines ot manv kinds car- 
pet the ground with their discarded foliage, and during spring, sum- 
mer, and early autumn the spreading leaty branches ot other trees 
form luxuriant canopies of living green. From out these rock-strewn 
declivities and leat-canopied slopes spring crystal streams which 
gather volume and force as they speed, and, finally uniting in their 
descent to the more level districts at the base ot the mountains, torm 
the broad and beautiful rivers for which this charming land is noted. 




Tfye CLIMATE, 
OF TflE. 



The "glorious climate" of other localities is often descanted upon 
hv writers portraying the attractions ot favorite resorts. That ot 
western North Carolina really deserves this appellation more truly 
than many much-higher-vaunted localities. The biting edge of the 
northern winter is neither felt nor feared, and scorching 
sub-tropical heat never invades the boundaries. Winter is here 
crisp, cool, bracing, delightful ; and summer a period of comfortable 
warmth, pleasant and agreeable to the invalid and full of attractive- 
ness to the healthy and vigorous. The claims made for the 
climate of this region are strong, but they do not lack for the best 
and strongest corroboration. The official government records of 
the climate of western North Carolina, which are unimpeachable 
evidence, give the following averages: Spring, 53.49° F. ; summer, 
70.72° F. ; autumn, 
53.48° F.; winter, 

mean for the whole ^K. aHSHLc /iMHH^B*'^. iSRl ' >V 

year of 54. I 5° F. , 
and a mean relative 
humidity of but 65 
per cent. 




.S'. liking 
Landscapes., 
Ever Pt- event- 
ing New and 
Attractive 
Faces 




^ a 







TJje. FA5CINAT10IVL 
SCENERY. 

HE charm of this land is real and apparent, its 

T delights are an actualitv. The visitor who does not 
"enthuse" over its scenic glories has yet to visit it. 
Perhaps the most notable and complete surrender to 
the fascination of its physical charms is its choice by 
Geo. W. Vanderbilt, Esq., as a site for his estate, "Biltmore," 
within two miles of the citv of Asheville, and nearly the exact cen- 
tre of this scenic wonderland. "Biltmore," which rightly claims 
to be the finest residential property in America, comprises fully a 
hundred thousand acres that have been beautified and rendered park- 
like under the personal supervision o\ Frederick Law Olmstead, 
the eminent landscape artist. Mr. Vanderbilt' s residence — which 
is said to have cost more than $3,000,000 — occupies the most com- 
manding site in this splendid domain, and is considered the master- 
piece of its designer, the late Richard M. Hunt, America's most 
famous architect. The 
edifice is magnificent in its 
proportions, admirably 
placed, and is surrounded 
by broad lawns and lux- 
uriant gardens. The pre- 
serves, forests, and imm.e- 
diate grounds are traversed 
by many miles of perfect 
roads, which wind in and 
out over the splendid ex- 
panse of this unequalled 
estate. 











Biltmoi c, I lie Fines/ 
Riside7ilial Properly in 
A merica 



m 



Keniliiorth Inn^ 

Ashei'ille, 

Charmingly 

Situated 

in a 

Splendid 

Pri'vate Park 



^5HEVILLL 

7/7? CITY 

and JTs nOT'E.L^ 

f- SHE\'ILLE, the central city of this favored region, 

I 1^ is a place of considerable importance, has more than 

/ % fourteen thousand inhabitants, and presents an air ot 

± ^ municipal prosperity much in advance ot cities con- 
siderably larger in size. 

Jt possesses several large and fine hotels, an opera house, an 
auditorium for conventions, an art gallery, a public library, and 
manv handsome public buildings and institutions. Its trolley service 
is excellent, and lines reach all the outlying suburbs. The larger 
hotels are the Battery Park and the Kenilworth Inn, which accom- 
modate 600 guests each. The former is located in the center of the 
city and is surrounded bv beautifully kept and park-like grounds. 
The hotel is modern in style, and is maintained in a manner that 
stamps it as one of the foremost hotels among American health resorts. 
The Kenilworth Inn is located about two miles from the city proper, 
at the entrance to "Biltmore," the magnificent residential property 
of George W. V^anderbilt, Esq. Kenilworth Inn is charmingly sit- 
uated in a park of great beautv, and the views from its piazzas and 
upper windows are superb. The hotel is splendidly equipped, and 
is managed in a manner that would do credit to metropolitan hostelries. 
Another attraftive hotel is the Manor — of English quaintness — lo- 
cated in Albemarle Park, a traft of thirty-four acres, which is on the 
trolley line about twenty-live minutes ride from Asheville Station. 

Besides these three, which are open the year round, Asheville 
boasts of a number of others, smaller, but still excellent in all 
respefts. Among these are the Viftoria Inn, Swannanoa, Berkeley, 
Glen Rock, Oaks, Rock Lodge and Winyah Sanitarium. There 
are a number of moderate-priced boarding houses, caring for from 
ten to fifty guests, with home comforts and surroundings. Cottages 
can be rented bv the month or season. 





[mwrgj^^ 



J c ».. 






./r5HE.VILLE 77Z 
5UMME:P^ i^'y/^ 

AKEN in its entirety — both as regards its surround- 

Tings and its facilities — Asheville more nearly than 
any other city in America meets all the requirements 
of a natural sanitarium and health resort. For tem- 
perature and climate it is unrivalled. In summer the 
heat is never excessive or uncomfortable ; in winter the cool air is 
invigorating, without a touch of chill. Mildness charac- 
terizes the atmosphere of this capital of health at all sea- 
sons ot the year, and 
Asheville has come to 
be known as the finest 
' ' all-the-y ear-round 
resort in the United 
States. Its season 




is alwavs, its hotels never close, and the visitor is made welcome 
whenever he arrives, whether it be with the opening leaves of spring, 
the perfumed flowers of summer, the falling leaves of the dying year, 
or in the depths of the winter. At all times he will find Asheville 
a pleasant spot, full of life, of colo and of enjoyment, rich with 
possibilities for health or recreation. At no time is out-ot-door life 
in this region impossible, but always attractive. Situated some 
2,000 feet above the sea level, the Asheville plateau possesses an 
atmosphere at once dry and bracing. Its climate being perennially 
mild, there is never danger for the most delicate constitution, nor 
discomfort for the more hardv. 



The Battery Park 
Asheville' $ 
most st) iking 
Architectural 
Orname7il 



"Hills, valleys, rivers and forests abound, and so 
diversify this intramontane expanse as to make it im- 
measurably lovely to the eye and restful to the spirit. 
In scenery it is superb, in temperature delightful, and 
in climate matchless." 



KJ D I T«LG 

and D RJ V I >LG 

about yi 5 H EV I L L E 

HE drives round about Asheville are unexcelled anv- 

T where for the lovely views they afford. Horseback 
riding is in great favor, but bicycling is indulged in 
only by the more vigorous on account ot the hills. 
Automobiling is increasing in tavor. Out-of-door 
life, especially with tourists, is the rule, and there are mountains 
near enough to be considered for a day's excursion which \vill tax 
the endurance and skill of all save the professional Alpine climber. 
During the spring and early summer these mountain sides are radiant 
with the bloom of the laurel, the rhododendron and the azalea, and 
for miles along the edge of the Swannanoa its banks are one solid 
mass of these exquisite flowers. Along the frequented portions of 
tourist-travel in this region are well-kept highways and boulevards 
that invite the enthusiastic rider or driver. In addition to these 
the mountain trails supply many more attractive routes for equestri- 
ans, their pine-carpeted paths being ideal footways for saddle horses, 
while their locations and surroundings are of the most picturesque 

nature. To visit western 
North Carolina and not ride 
over its less-trequented roads 
and its mountain trails on 
horseback is to miss the most 
characteristic features of its 
charming scenery. 




Asheville'' s Higlnvays 
and Boulevai ds In vile 
the Enthusiastic Ride) 
and Driver. 




MOUR.TAIN: TRAILS 

about 
./r>S«E,VILLE. 

OR those who wish to get awav from the roads tre- 

Fquented bv the majority ot tourists and to penetrate 
farther into the mountains than is usually done by the 
horse-back riders, there are a number of picturesque 
points in the mountains which can be reached by a 
one or two davs' tramp from Asheville. 

One ot the most delightful starting points for the tramping tourist 
is Mountain Meadows. This place is six miles from Asheville, 
and from it many trails extend in various directions deep into the 
Craggy range, reaching an altitude within a few miles of Mountain 
Meadows Inn of 5,000 feet and upwards. A good trail leads to Bull 
Gap, five miles distant, and from Bull Gap eastward towards Craggy 
a new trail is now building. This trail is now completed to Rocky 
Knob, an altitude of 5,000 feet. 

The Mitchell trail (reaching to the top of Mt. Mitchell, an alti- 
tude of 67 I I feet) has been changed during the past year. This 
mountain was formerly reached by a route up the north fork of the 
Swannanoa River, but since Asheville has acquired the north fork of 
the Swannanoa as a water-shed, all the old roads and trails through 
the property have been closed Mt. Mitchell is now reached bv a 
good trail from Montreat over Gravbeard Mountain. 

One of the points least frequented and little known is Richland 
Knob. This mountain lies twelve miles northeast of Asheville in 
the Craggy Range, at an altitude of 5300 feet. Of the points 
nearer Asheville, Gouch's Peak, six miles to the north; Elk Moun- 
tain, seven miles to the north; and Deaver's View, six miles to the 
west, offer easily accessible points with good trails and fine views. 

For those who wish to go even farther from the beaten track, 
the Great Smokies and the Unakas on the Murphv branch of the 
Southern Railway offer what are practically unexplored mountain 
tops, with but {^\N well-defined trails and with plenty of places that 
will tax even the most hardy and self-reliant mountain chmber. 




not SPRJKG5 
o7i^^f^7M besf known 

OT SPRINGS, second in size among the resorts of 

Hthis region, lies northwest of Asheville, and near to 
the Tennessee State line. Its importance as a health 
resort has been known and valued for more than a 
hundred vears. Settled in 1771, it antedates every 
other Southern water-cure locality, and the curative benefits ot its 
thermal springs have been utilized since 1790. These springs are 
wonderfully remedial in cases of gout, rheumatism and kindred mala- 
dies, and many remarkable cures have been recorded and authenti- 
cated. For the entertainment of the tourist and the invalid. Hot 
Springs offers every modern comfort. The largest hotel, the Moun- 
tain Park — open the year round — is capable of accommodating more 
than five hundred guests, and is exceptionally popular among tourists, 
it is unexcelled, either in its appointments or its management, by 
anv hotel in the South. Its location is superb, being attractively 
placed in a private park of more than four thousand acres, which is 
artistically laid out and traversed by well-kept roads. On the grounds 
belonging to the hotel is the Wana Luna golf course, one of the most 
beautiful in America. In addition to the Mountain Park, Hot 
Springs has several other excellent hotels, among them being Edge 
Cliff Cottage and Bonny Brow. There are also a number of boarding 
houses where good accommodations can be secured at moderate cost. 




Afouiitani lark half I. 



HLTa)E.R.501vLVILLL. 
\^ I C I T^ IT^ Y. 

F the traveler is seeking the charms of scenery as well 

I as the benefits of renewed health, he should take the 

trip to Hendersonville, 2 i miles southeast of Ashe- 
ville. Hendersonville is in the very heart of the 
mountains, on a gently sloping plateau surrounded by 
storm-beaten summits towering above her on every side. This 
plateau is the centre of concentric circles of mountain ranges, each 
range rising higher and higher as they are more removed from 
the centre, thus making Hendersonville the objective point from 
which mav be seen panoramic views of rare beauty. 

Lying 2253 feet above sea-Ievel and sheltered, as it is, by Jump- 
OfF Mountain and its out-lying spurs to the west and northwest, 
it escapes the fierce heat of the lowlands and the frosty favors of the 
cloudland heights, and enjoys an equableness of temperature and 
a charm of atmosphere which approximates the acme of climatic 
conditions. 

Hendersonville is a town of 2200 population; possessing three 
large and up-to-date hotels. The Imperial, The Wheeler and the 
Blue Ridge Inn, each with a capacity of 250 to 300 guests, 
besides many boarding houses that meet both the exigencies of 
moderate means 
and of affluence. 
Here passen- 
gers take the 

Transylvania R. ^ 

R., which now 
runs to Lake 
Toxaway, for 
the b e a u t i f u 1 
Sapphire Coun- 
trv. 






The Land of the Skv is Filled 
with Scenic Surprises 



n 



/ro^^A^ 5 H E.V I L L E. 
To TDf^ ]VANtAHALA5. 

SHEVILLE is the natural centre of this region, both 

A from its many railroad connections and because from 
it radiate nearly all the direct routes to the points of 
interest with which this section is replete. The route 
from Asheville to Wavnesvi'.le and Murphy is per- 
haps the most spectacular trip in this land of scenic surprises. 
The railway penetrates the very heart of the mountains, through 
a deep, rocky gorge, and by the side of a rushing mountain 
stream, where precipitous peaks tower high above the roadbed 
on either side, where the sunlight scarce can enter, and where 
the enclosing cliffs seem ever to be disputing the passage of the 
train. There are kaleidoscopic changes of scene at everv 
twist and turn ot the track: now fleeting glimpses of distant 
mountains through rifts and vallevs, and again the closing in of the 
chasm until its vertical or over-hanging walls seem almost to touch 
the side of the cars. Beneath and ever in sight runs the flashing 
and foam-flecked river injits swift descent to the fertile fields below. 




Pictnt esqne River hanks 




Attractive 
Riven, Forests, 
and Mountains 
Fill Every 
Field of Vie^v 







5APPniFJL COURTIOt 

NE ot the most enjoyable trips from Ashcville 

O throughout all this vast area of hill and dale, field and 
forest, is the tour of the "Sapphire Country," as the 
district around Lakes Toxawav, Fairfield and Sapphire 
has come to be called. These deep and clear bodies 
of fresh water are completely surrounded by forests and mountains. 
The great natural beauty ot the landscape has not as yet been marred 
by the hand of man, his onlv encroachment upon the s\'lvan solitude 
having been the erection of splendid hotels on attractive sites, and 
the construction of excellent carriage roads upon which to reach 
them. In physical contour and characteristics this region has been 
frequently compared to the English Lakes District, to which it is 
not entirely dissimilar in aspect ; but, while the resemblance is fre- 
quently striking, the Sapphire Country is, as a whole, vastly grander 
in every wa\'. Its mountains and cliff-'s are more than twice the 
height of their English compeers; its cataracts aud torrents larger and 
more impressive; its lakes bluer, deeper and more picturesquely 
framed bv the loftv peaks that tower above them; while the rugged 
natural beauty of the surrounding hills, mountains and crags still 
bears the impress of their primeval birth and is as yet entirely free 
from the softening touches of civilization. The lover of mountain- 
climbing can here find the maximum of enjoyment and the mini- 
mum of danger. In the foreground of this magnificent natural pano- 
rama stands Toxaway, one of the finest view-points in this scenic 
paradise. From its easily-attained summit more than one hundred 
peaks are visible, among them being Mount Mitchell, Mount Pisgah, 
Old Whitesides, Rabun, and a host of others. „ The massive wall 
of Old Whitesides towers — but two miles away — more than i,8oo 
feet into the air, the onlv mountain cliff of such noble proportions to 
be found in America east 
of the Rockv Moun- 
tains. From the sum- 
mit of Toxawav the 
spectator' s eve can take 
in the whole of the ,^*«.^_,, ,.,m^m,i^r'i!mmt__\Wi 





■^^i»*ifpip» alls 




J'o.rauay I mi at Lake 'J'oxawu\ 




5APPniRX COURTR-Y. 

beautiful Piedmont plateau, and in the distance the rugged and pic- 
turesque outlines ot the Smokv Mountains ot eastern Tennessee loom 
hazy and indistinct, blending sottlv into the scarceh- less deep blue 
ot the azure sky. More than iiftv waterfalls and cataracts are to be 
found in this charming region, one of them being fully 370 feet high, a 
worthy rival ot some of the noted fills of the Yellowstone Valley. 

The mountain peaks that fill this picturesque region are interest- 
ing not merely for their number, which is considerable, but bv rea- 
son of their height and grandeur. Here one majestic peak after 
another rears its loftv head on high, each apparently striving to over- 
top its neighbor. More than eighty of these peaks tower from 
5,000 to 6,000 feet above the sea-level, and no fewer than forty- 
three exceed 6,000 feet, twent\-three ot these latter being taller 
than Mount Washington, the giant of the White Mountains of New 
Hampshire. Mount Mitchell (6,680 feet), highest of this con- 
gress of giants, surpasses Mount Washington bv 425 feet, while 
Mount Guyot (6,636 feet), and Clingman's Dome (6,600 feet) 
are neither of them much inferior to their taller neighbor, while 
both greatly exceed in height, shape and sublimity the White Moun- 
tain champion. Mount Mitchell enjoys the proud distinction ot 
being the tallest peak in the United States east of the Rocky Moun- 
tains. Travelers will find the Toxawav Inn at Lake Toxawav, 
the Sapphire Inn at Lake Sapphire, Fairfield hin at Lake Fairfield, 
and Mountain Lodge on the summit of Toxaway, excellent modern 
hotels with the latest and most improved facilities and advantages. 
V^isitors from the North and East can reach the Sapphire Country 

via Asheville and Hen- 
dersonville, N. C; 
from the South and 
Southwest via Spar- 
tanburg, S. C, and 
Hendersonville and 
Brevard; from the 
North and North- 
west via Knoxville, 
Asheville, and Brevard. 
The Transylvania Rail- 
road has been extended 
and now runs direct to 
Lake Toxawav. 




The Ilomc-Uke Hotel Fiarikhn 
at Brevard, N. C. 




A Few of the Sparkling Cascades or 
the Sapphire Country 



GB^ARD FATn E R^ 
MOUN.TAIM REGIOK 

MONG the notable tours in western North Caro- 

Alina none is more enjoyable than that to Grandfather 
Mountain and the Blowing Rock region beyond 
Lenoir. It is reached by train from Asheville to 
Hickory, and thence to Lenoir. This little town 
has a population of about 2,000, and is very attractive. It is 
built upon an elevated table and between two ranges of moun- 
tains, and the horizon line is broken at all points by the 
graceful summits of the surrounding peaks. From Lenoir to 
Cranberry — near the Tennessee State hne — a distance of fifty-six 
miles, extends a magnificent mountain boulevard that is equalled 
only by the splendid roads of the European Alps. The 
drive over this superb scenic highway is one not to be missed, 
and is an experience that lingers long and pleasantly in the 
memory. Vistas of forest-clad summits, of rocky crests and 
of distant mountain ranges flit r:omentarilv by, fleeting visions 
of lovely valleys and glimpses of crystal streams, which rapidly 
succeed one another, while dizzy heights and deep-shadowed 
gorges appear frequently on either hand. In almost every view 
there stands forth the grim outlines of Grandfather Mountain — so 
called from the fancied resemblance of its profile to that of an aged 
man — the prime motif of these striking landscapes, never unin- 
teresting, ever presenting a new face to the spectator, and appearing 
all the more lofty and imposing because of its nearness to the 
beholder. To the south and west may be frequently seen Mount 
Mitchell, Hawk's Bill and King's Mountain. 

At Blowing Rock, where the traveler should stop and leisurely 
enjoy the magnificent views, are three excellent hotels — the Wau- 
tauga, the Blowing Rock and the Green Park. From Blowing 





Grandfather Movnlam^-Crim and 
Gray in its Solitary Giaudrm 



L I TSL V I L L £ 
P._E.G I O isL. 

Rock to Linville and on to Cranberry, the scenery tones down some- 
what in ruggedness and grandeur, but loses not one whit ot its 
picturesque natural beauty. 

The twenty miles' drive from Blowing Rock to Linville is over 
a road that has few superiors in America. For miles it traverses 
the forest primeval, and from one point furnishes a wide-spread 
view of matchless grandeur and from another a glimpse of some 
sweet, quiet vallev, with, perchance, the modest home of some 
mountaineer and its little clearing far below. Nine and a half 
miles beyond Blowing Rock the traveler comes to the eastern 
boundary of the great park of I 6,000 acres owned by the Linville 
Improvement Company, and the fiist view is had of the beautiful 
Linville River from a point 1,500 feet above it. Nestling in the 
heart of the vallev is the charming Esceola Inn and its surrounding 
cottages. The Inn is of modern architecture, and has all the 
conveniences found in the best resort hotels. From the Esceola Inn 
the main road continues to Cranberry, and from this point the 
railroad may be taken to grand old Roan Mountain, in Tennessee, 
or on to Knoxville. 

Near Cranberry, in Mitchell Count\-, and at an altitude of 
3,750 feet above sea-level, is the Pineola Inn, a charming colonial 
hotel, newly built and modernly furnished. It is within driving 
distance of Linville, Blowing Rock, Cranberry (its post-ofhce 
address), and within 
a short distance of 
Grandfather Mountain 
(altitude 5,985 feet), 
and the beautiful falls 
of the Linville River. 



Esceola Inn, 
Linville, N. C, 
and tls 
Piciuresgjie 
Su rroun dings 




RE50BJr5 



LAT ROCK, one of the most charming ot the lesser 

F resorts ot western North Carolina, three miles 
hevond Hendersonville, is a spot where many 
prominent people from southern cities spend the 
summer months. Its resemblance to English rural 
scenery is striking, and it has often been described as a little 
corner of England tucked down in this North Carolina paradise. 
Here is located Heidelberg House — open the year round — which 
accommodates about one hundred people. 

Tryon, fortv-three miles from Asheville, and twenty-seven from 
Spartanburg, is 1,500 feet above the sea-level. The scenery here- 
abouts is beautiful beyond description. The mountains are covered 
to their verv tops with verdure, and whether in spring, summer or 
autumn, the ever-changing picture is one of matchless beauty, charm- 
ing and delightful to the eye. Here are located two charming and 
home-like hotels. Oak Hall, located in a park within walking dis- 
tance of the station and on one of the most commanding sites in 
"The Land of the Sky," affords a grand and impressive view of the 
outlying mountain range and valley below. This hotel, open the 
year round, is conducted on the New England style, and is one of 
the most popular hotels in that section. The Mimosa Inn, located 
at Lynn, several miles from Trvon, is a new hotel with all modern 
improvements; has accommodations for one hundred people and is 
easily reached bv comfortable conveyances from Tryon. These, 
with a number of moderate-priced boarding houses, offer excellent 
accommodations. Pacolet River is famed for its waterfalls and cas- 
cades, and for those of its tributary streams. Horseshoe Falls, on 




Spring Mountain, plunge down the mountain side a distance of more 
than 350 feet. A good road leads to the top of Rocky Spur, a peak 
4,000 feet high, 4 trip that can he made between breakfast and din- 
ner; and the sightseer will find a comfortable hotel, the Skvuka, near 
the top of Tryon Mountain, passing en route under the celebrated 
Horseshoe Falls. The roads about Tryon are excellent, and a dav's 
drive in the vicinity is a delightful experience that will not soon be 
forgotten. 

Another section that attracts many visitors because of its grand 
scenery is that about Hickorv Nut Gap and Chimney Gap. It is 
almost due east fromi Asheville, and may be reached from that city 
bv mountain conveyance. The trip will amply repay the tourist, 
for the rugged, dizzy heights and the deep, sombre gorges are fasci- 
natingly grand and beautifully sublime. There is a hotel at Chimney 
Gap which is well kept and furnishes excellent accommodations. 

There are many other places in the "Land of the Skv" besides 
those mentioned which the traveler can readily find, and in which 
he can rest or climb or ride amid most charming scenes. It is well to 
note that while many of the resorts in this famous region are among 
the finest and most fashionable in America, there are to be had in most 
places modest accommodations and more moderate prices, either at 
smaller and less pretentious hotels, or in excellent boarding houses. 
Of these latter, numbers may be found in all the localities named or 
referred to. 




(^ 



A ILXAL 
.SPOBJ'.SMAXvS 

p>i Rja d I ^ el . 

^^~ ESTERN North Carolina is tlie true sportsman's 

W paradise. Here lie can "rough it" to heart's con- 
tent, and rough it without inconvenience or dis- 
comfort, tor out-door lite in this favored region offers 
continuous pleasure and entails no hardships. Camp- 
ing is here an ideal life, enjovahle bevond measure, and presenting 
none ot the difficulties present in less accessible regions. Small 
game is plentiful, and a tall vacation spent among these sylvan 
glades will prove an outing never to be forgotten, and to be re- 
peated as often as opportunity afl-'ords. 

Fishing is a sport that may here be enjoyed to the uttermost. 
The rivers that rise in this mountain are notable for their number, 
their volume and their beautv. They are splendidly stocked with 
fish, among which the native black bass predominates. California 
or rainbow trout have been placed in the larger rivers, and many 
are already of a size comparable with the famous fish of the salmon 
rivers of the State of Maine and the Province of Quebec. All of the 
streams of this region — both large and small — are periodically 
stocked with trout, providing the finest of sport for the enthusiastic 
wielder ot rod and reel. The equals of western North Carolina's 
trout streams are far to seek and difficult to find. In number and 
size thev are remarkable, comprising such rivers as the Hiwassee, 
Tennessee, Pigeon, French Broad, Nolechuckv and Wautauga, 
flowing westward into the Mississippi ; the Broad, Catawba and 

Yadkin, flowing east- 
ward to the Atlantic; 
and the New River, 
which flows north to 
the Ohio. There are 
also hundreds of trib- 
utary streams, whose 
haded pools are the 
li credit a rv lurking- 
places of the small 
but gamy mountain 
trout. 




d 




OPPORfTUNITIEvS for 

rne ekjoymenj 

O/^ G O L m 

UT-DOOR life in this charming country presents 

Omore attractions and fewer disadvantages than at 
any other American resort. Hence it is but natural 
that out-door sports, games and recreations of all 
kinds are generously provided for, and are to he found 
at all prominent places throughout 
this section. Among games, golt 
naturally takes the lead by reason 
ot its great popularity. No bet- 
ter golf links are to be found in the 
country than those at Asheville, 
and excellent courses have been 
provided at all the principal re- 
sorts and at manv ot the minor 
ones. Among the well-known 
places that pav marked attention 
to this popular sport and provide 
special facilities for its enjoyment 
are Asheville, Hot Springs and 
Pinehurst. The Swannanoa Golf 
Club, at Asheville, is a large and flourishing organization, with a 
fine club house. The Wana Luna Golf Club is located at Hot 
Springs, on the grounds of the Mountain Park Hotel. At Pinehurst 
there are two fine courses, one of i 8 holes and another of 9. 

Not the least among the attractions of this section is the character 
and variety ot its vegetation. So varied is this that it is a matter of 
government record that of the twenty-two kinds of oaks native to 
the United States, North Carolina can boast of nineteen ; of five 
spruces she has four; 
ot eight hickories she 
has six ; while of 
eight diiferent kinds 
ot pine, and seven 
ot magnolia, she 
possesses all. Of 
flowers, terns and 
grasses no other 
land ot similar area 
has so long a list, and 
ot fruits the varieties 
are almost end- 
less. 




TATE. ^PRITSLGS 
TENNESSEE MOUN^TAINS. 

ATE SPRING, situated in the mountains of eastern 
r I A Tennessee, at the southern base ot Clinch Mountain, 
I is called the "Carlsbad ot America." To its charming 

location, at an altitude ot 1,410 tect, it adds attrac- 
tiveness ot atmosphere and climate and surrounding 
scenery ot great natural beautv. Tate Spring is unsurpassed any- 
where for the remedial effect ot its waters, and the yolume is untailing 
and equal to the greatest demand. The flow is several thousand 
gallons daily and the temperature ot the water remains constant at 
55 degrees Fahrenheit. The water is mildly laxative or powertullv 
cathartic according to the quantity taken, and is a positive specific for 
dyspepsia and kindred maladies. Its tonic properties are also re- 
markable, and in cases ot insomnia and nervous disorders it has 
worked marvelous cures. 

Tate Spring Hotel, which has been recently enlarged, is a 
capacious and handsome structure, attractively placed in beautiful 
grounds, and is kept open the year round. It has everv modern 
convenience, including electric lights, steam heat, private baths, etc. 

Many ot the rooms have open 
fire-places. There are spacious 
parlors and verandas, and a 
large ball room. A fine orches- 
tra is constantly in attendance. 
?s X V. ,. Tate Spring is easy of access, 

being located one and a halt 
iTiiles from Bean Station on the 
K. & B. R'y, which connects 
with the Southern Railway at 
Morristown, Tenn. 




Taie Spiing Ilnifl, 
Tale Sp)ivg, Tennessee 



a 



V I L L yV G E. -O/^ 

p nME.mjPvv//r. 

INEHURST is nestled among the pine-clad hills ot 

P Moore County, at an elevation ot" six hundred and 
fifty feet above the level of the sea. It is not within 
the actual boundaries of the "Land of the Sky," but 
is one of North Carolina's famous resorts. The sand- 
hill region of the State of North Carolina has been long tamed as a 
natural sanitarium, an elysium where nature is lavish ot her gifts 
conductive to that greatest boon to mankind, health.' It is a 
matter of historv that no case ot consumption ever originateci here. 
Pinehurst has an attractive casino, four fine hotels, the principal 
one, the Carolina, being a magnificent structure, one ot the largest 
and finest in North Carolina. The other three are the Holly Inn, 
Berkshire Inn and Harvard. There are also a number ot attractive 
cottages, which mav be rented furnished at small cost tor the 
season. Special attention is paid to golf at this resort, ''and the 
links and club house are among the very best in the entire South. 

The season at Pinehurst is from about December i 5th to April 
30th, and the Southern Railway offers special accommodations to 
and from the East and 



North to Pinehurst. 






FR \NK rRESUREY CC, NEW YOR 



■'%: 



